Crate, box, or similar container



May 12, 1953 w. J. CELLA 2,633,238

CRATE, BOX, OR SIMILAR CONTAINER Filed Aug. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. mawwq-aldv di'iornqy Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRATE, BOX, R SIMILAR CONTAINER William J. Cclla, Huntington, N. Y.

Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. 177,590

4 Claims. (01. 217-65) tainer of this kind, a strong, well-anchored bot,

tom provided with apertures to facilitate the drainage of water from the melting ice usually packed about the bottles or paper containers. Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a bottom of a crate of this nature, means by which stacking lugs provided on a second crate, and on which the instant crate may be stacked, will be accommodated in apertures provided at corner points on the bottom, to thereby permit firm and secure stacking of the crates.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the bottom of a crate of this kind, container- ,elevating means by which a number of the containers placed in the crate will be elevated slightly above the remainder of the containers thereby enabling the elevated containers to be readily manually grasped and lifted out of the crate to permit of the subsequent easy removal of the remaining cartons in the crate.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. l is a top plan view of a crate or box of the kind described, constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line ll of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is a view of one of the corners of the crate, with parts in section, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4.

In the crate of the form shown in the drawing, the vertical side walls are indicated respectively at l and 2, said walls being preferably composed of wood or possibly some other suitable strong, slightly-resilient and relatively light material. The ends of the box are indicated at 3 and 4 and the same are preferably of sheet metal. At the top of each end, the metal is formed into a substantially square or rectangular sleeve 1 which contains an insert or reinforcement of wood. This is of known construction.

The bottom of the crate is indicated at 5, and

the same is preferably of sheet metal formed in the shape shown by stamping operations. The bottom 6 is provided at a substantially central location with a raised or elevated portion 8 extending transversely of the crate and it will be apparent that any paper containers placed within the box on this raised portion will be slightly elevated above those placed on other parts of the bottom 5. Said raised portion 8 is thus, in effect, an elevated platform for the containers in the central part of the crate and the milkman can readily grasp these raised containers and lift them out of the crate, the removal of the same then readily permitting the other containers, or those on the bottom around the elevated ones, to be readily removed.

At its opposite side edges, the bottom 5 is bent downwardly as indicated at 9 and then formed with a channel Ill into which the lower edge of one of the side walls is fitted. Rivets II or similar fastening elements are extended through the channel portion 10 and through the side walls I and 2, as shown in Fig. 8 to thereby attach the side portions of the bottom 5 to the lower edge portions of the sides I and 2, the channel forming an edge reinforcement.

The opposite ends of the bottom 5 are downwardly bent to provide flanges as indicated at [2, and these downwardly-bent flanged end portions are confined between a reinforcing cross bar [3, which may be of wood, and the square sleeve [4 integrally formed at the lower end of each of the end walls 3 and 4 and enclosing the cross bar l3. Rivets 15, or equivalent fastening elements, extend through the downwardlybent ends l2 of the bottom and through the cross bar l3 and the enclosing sleeve [4 therefor, thus securely anchoring the opposite ends of the bottom 5 in place.

The corners of the box are interiorly reinforced by angle pieces l6 which are riveted in place by the rivets l8 and these pieces l6 are extended upwardly above the top of the box in the form of stacking lugs II, by means of which a number of crates may be accurately stacked on top of one another. To accommodate these stacking lugs, the bottom 5 is provided in each corner of the crate with a cut-out or aperture IQ of triangular form. These apertures l9 enable the stacking lugs ll on a lower box to be received by the bottom of an upper box when the boxes are stacked one on top of the other. The apertures Hi also facilitate the drainage of water from melting ice packed around the paper containers placed in the box. Such drainage is also aided by means of the openings provided in the bottom 5 of the box on opposite sides of the central raised portion 8.

The end walls 3 and 4 of the box may be provided with hand-holds 2i and at the side edges of the end walls are provided laterally-bent flanges 22 which overlie the faces of the side walls I and 2 and are attached thereto by the rivets it. The top edges of the side walls l and 2 are reinforced by the channel-shaped reiniorcements 23 secured in place by the rivets E t.

A box constructed as above described, will be.

found to be exceptionally sturdy and capable of withstanding great abuse for a long periodof time. The rigid sheet-metal bottom and the manner in which the-same is secured in place lends rigidity and strength to the structure, the stiilness and strength of the. bottom being materially increased by the raised central portion 8. This raised portions not only stifiens the bottom but elevates the containers or other receptaclesas. heretofore stated. Drainage is fa cilitated' by the provision of the several apertures 2t and E9, the latter apertures enabling the boxes. tobeaccurately stacked on top of one another.

While I- have herein shown and described one embodiment ofithe invention, is obvious that the sa1ne.is.-notto,be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I' claim. is:

l. A container of the. character describedcomprising, side. walls and] a bottom, the bottom. be ing. composed. of Isheet metal and having a plurality of its edges formed with integral channels fitted, over. thelower edges of a plurality of the side walls andiorming. a protective reinforcementtherefor, aplurality of the side walls. be" ins. provided at their lower edges with reinforced sleeves, cross members extending. between the side walls. and-contained within the sleeves, aplurality of edges of the bottom being disposedfwithin said sleeves, fastening elements ex tending through the channels and parts of the side walls disposed therein, and.v fastening elements extendingthrough the sleeves and through the edge portions ofthe bottom located in said sleeves.

2. A container of the character described 60.1 prising, side walls and end Walls connected together, a sheet metal bottom having side edges channelled to embrace the lower edges of the side walls, fastening. members extending through the channelled portions and through the side walls, the bottom having downturned ends, the end walls of the container being of sheet metal and provided at their lower ends with reinforced sleeves, the downturned ends of the bottom being extended into said sleeves, and fastening members extending through said sleeves and through the downturned ends of the bottom.

3. A container of the character described comprising, a pair of wooden side walls-connected to a pair of sheet metal end walls, cross members disposed along the lower ends of the end walls and extending between and connecting the side walls, the end walls being provided at their lower ends with sleeves enclosing the cross members, a rectangular sheet metal bottom having two of its edgesformed with integral channels fitted over the lower edges of the side walls and forming protective coverings therefor, the bottom having two remaining edges provided with down-bent flanges, said flanges entering the sleeves and'disposed therein betweenthe cross members and the inner sides oi. the end walls, and-fastening. elements extending through the sleeves, through the cross members and throughthe flanges.

i. A container of the character described comprising, a pair of wooden side walls connected to a pair or sheet metal end walls, wooden cross members located inside of the container and disposed along the lower endsof the end walls; the lower ends of said end walls being provided-with sleeves within which the cross--members are contained, a rectangular sheet metal bottom formed at two 01 its ends with down-bent flanges fitted d between he cross members and the-inner surface of the end walls; said; flanges: projecting downwardly into the sleeves, iasteningelements extending through the sleeves,- through the-cross members, through. the flanges and through the end walls, the two remainingedges of'thebottom being: provided with. upwardly directed channels into which the lower edges of the: side-wail'sare fitted, said channels constituting; protective sheathingsfor the lower'ends of saidside' walls, th'e'corners of the bottom being. cut away to provide apertures for stacking: on adjacent container when one container is stacked on top of the other.

WILLIAM-J.

References: Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 23,178 Praeger et a1; Nov. 29, 1949 2,508,445 Cella May. 23, 1956 2,526,335 Deichert Oct-17,. 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 199,539 Great Britain June 28, I923 

